Ireland coach Andy Farrell is keeping his cards close to his chest when it comes to revealing who will line up at flyhalf for Ireland against Italy in Dublin next week.

Farrell would not be drawn on whether he would start captain Johnny Sexton or Joey Carbery at flyhalf or if he was thinking of selecting the latter in the tougher challenges to come against England at Twickenham (12 March) or Scotland in Dublin a week later.

Carbery was widely praised for his performance against France in his first Six Nations start having stepped in for Sexton, the Ireland centurion and British & Irish Lions veteran who was ruled out with a hamstring strain suffered during a 29-7 victory over defending champions Wales in the 2022 opener.

“It is all good regarding Johnny,” said Farrell. “He is going through the protocols, he trained yesterday and is coming to the end stages of his rehab.

“It is not for me to say who is going to start or not but the experience in Paris for Joey was great as was the feedback.

“We trained in a good hit-out against the U20 side today [Friday] and Joey had taken on board the points we had made to him about his performance in Paris.

“Paris should stand him in good stead.”

© Agence France-Presse